Music Video Treatment

Evie & Laura Thornborrow

The Artist Emeli Sande

Emeli Sande is an artist from the singer/songwriter music genre. She has had three Number 1 singles in the UK and Ireland. Her album Our Version Of Events has spent 7 non-consecutive weeks at number 1, becoming the UK best-selling album of 2012. She performed at both the opening and closing ceremonies of the London Olympics 2012. Shes with the record labels Virgin, EMI, Capitol.

Overall Concept Of The Video:

Due to the slow pace and emotional lyrics of our chosen song we have come to the conclusion that within our video we will aim to portray the atmosphere intended by the artist which is intense and meaningful and also moving for the audience. We want the video to connect to the audience and reveal their emotions by relating to the narrative as well as the lyrics and tone of the song.

Performance, Narrative and Conceptual Footage:

The narrative will consist of a teenage girl as the protagonist. We will use the connotations of a typical teenage girl by making her vulnerable and innocent. The girl will have confidence issues meaning that she is painfully shy, the low self confidence reflects her troubled past (being yelled at, destroyed environment, no-one listened to her) which resulted in her not being able to trust anyone and makes her feel a burden to everyone. As the girl cant speak to anyone, instead she writes everything down in a diary. She watches other people, seeing them enjoying themselves with friends, wishing she could be a part of it and be happy. In the video the audience will be able to see inside her mind, we will display this by having the forest location, this will be where all the singing is. She is saying all the things she wish she could say in real life, telling herself to be confident.

Location:
We have decided to use a variety of different locations to contrast each other and to create a sense of mystery to the narrative. For one of these locations we have decided to display an urban background which will then juxtapose our more natural location of a forest. These locations will be able to demonstrate our narrative more clearly to the audience, by illustrating the lyrics by using our own interpretation.

Mise-En-Scene:
The mise-en-scene will vary in each location, it will reflect the atmosphere of the particular location for example:
In the urban location we will use urban clothing and try to portray the urban atmosphere In the forest location, as it is the characters imagination we want to illustrate and exaggerate that it is inside her head and not reality, therefore we will do this by using mystical costume and make-up as well as high key lighting

Actors & Costume:

We are wanting to use an actor with the characterisations which fit our narrative, therefore we need a teenage girl who looks vulnerable and shy. To portray our narrative and to link with the character, we will use costume which reflects the intended atmosphere of gloominess, mystery, vulnerability and self-consciousness.

Lighting:
The lighting will differ between the locations depending on the atmosphere we want to create In the urban location we want to create a dull, depressing atmosphere when the girl is feeling self-conscious and depressed, therefore we will use low-key lighting which has connotations of an unhappy and disheartened mood. In the forest location we want to exaggerate that it is the opposite of the other location and is not reality therefore we will use high-key lighting to show more uplifting mood.

Camera Shots, Angles & Movement:

In the urban location we are wanting to amplify the background of graffiti therefore we will the rule of thirds by placing the character in the corner of the frame, this will clarify the location used and the ambiance of this. We will also use a lot of close-ups to allow the audience to connect and sympathise with the character. We will use long and establishing shots to exaggerate her loneliness by showing nobody around her. In the forest location we want to display her confidence and power, we will do this by using low-angled shots and standing her on a raised surface.

Initial Ideas For Editing:

We will make sure that the editing will match the pace of the music, this is important as we dont want the video to be disorientating for the audience. We need to make it clear when there are flashbacks, therefore we can use black and white as well as lighting effects to emphasise that it is in the past. We will use clear and jump cuts for most of the video, swapping between locations to get the narrative across. We will edit the video so that the lip synching is correct, we can do this by playing the music when shooting the video and fit it together when we do the editing.

Representation:
By using a young girl as the protagonist it will show vulnerability and innocence as these are the connotations. This is the image which we are trying to put across, and by using our narrative, it will make it even clearer for the audience, allowing them to sympathise with the character. Also, by showing her troubled past, we will expose troubles that teenagers may be facing in real life, therefore they can connect to the narrative further and it may also help them.

Who & How Your Music Video Will Be Consumed:

After carrying out surveys, focus groups and watching existing videos etc. we were able to select a target audience for our video. The majority of people who watch Singer/Songwriter videos and listen to this genre of music are females aged 12-18. Also, we have realised that music videos are usually consumed on the internet (youtube) or music channels (MTV and 4Music), this may also reflect our target age range, as mostly young people use these facilities.